We are a family-owned business with active and inactive family members. What structural decisions or alignment do we need regarding our ownership versus leadership team before our first Focus Day?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

To run an effective Focus Day, you must clearly separate ownership issues from operational leadership issues. Before we sit down for our first session, you need to establish who actually sits on the leadership team based on merit and operational responsibility, not equity percentage or family lineage. Inactive family shareholders do not belong in our session days. Their role is governed by an ownership pulse, not the operational cadence of the business. You must also commit to the concept of the Accountability Chart, which means every family member who works in the business must fit a seat, meet your core values, and have the GWC to do the job. If you have unresolved estate planning or shareholder disputes, address those with your legal advisors first. Our session days are designed to align the operational leadership team that runs the business day to day. If you bring ownership politics into the room, it will derail the process. My expectation is that before our first session, the owner or owners have explicitly authorized the leadership team to speak candidly, challenge assumptions, and make operational decisions for the good of the company. Once we have that boundary defined, we can begin building a highly functional, accountable business that operates independently of family dynamics.